RobStar Week 2018
by NostalgiaSucker96
Summary: A series of stories for this year's RobStar Week, featuring everyone's favourite TT couple in various premises meant to celebrate their loving relationship! Enjoy! R&R!
1. Day 1: Falling

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 1: Falling**

The power of flight has been within my grasp since a very early age. I honestly cannot recall a single day where I did not fly somewhere, whether it was above the deserts and jungles of Tamaran or the cities and oceans of Earth. Flight is a part of my life that I consider irreplaceable. And yet, sometimes I find myself pondering what it felt like to not be able to fly at all. I did lose my ability to fly whenever I felt sad or confused, but I never considered not flying at all. I wondered how humans could cope with the fact that they couldn't fly.

That is, until I saw _him_ in the gym, one fateful evening.

We often rose from our beds early in the morning, to see the sunset together on the roof. And on that morning, he was late. Curious, I searched through the tower to find out the cause of his lateness. He was not in his room, so I went to the training room. And there he was. Robin. Swinging on a trapeze.

His moves were… so graceful. The way his limbs moved with effortless flow, the precise timing of his movements… it was a beautiful sight. Such feats of agility must have required years of training to perfect. His lean and toned form soared through the air, making flips and twists and turns with such ease as. As if he dared gravity to bring him down. And yet, none of that could compare to the bright smile that was on his face as he sailed through the air. It felt as if he was a different person entirely.

But that was broken when he made one mistake and fell on the net. The smile was long gone, replaced with an expression of utter sadness, until he just covered his face in his arms and sighed. That look… that expression of melancholy and disappointment remained in my mind for quite some time. At the time, I thought he beat himself up too much on a simple training regimen.

We were but best friends back then. And now that we are more than that, I know that there is more to his drive concerning acrobatics than just training.

It was a part of his past self, the one part that wasn't taken away from him. And it was a reminder of the moment that changed his life forever. A memory of his life before his crimefighting days that he could relive over and over. It was a memory of his days at the circus, when he trained with his deceased parents. And of the day they were taken from him.

For him, falling was a nightmare. Falling was what took the life of his parents. And he could not afford to fall or let anyone else fall. He promised to himself to always catch people when they fall.

I had suspected his obsession with not letting people fall when he kept catching me, helping me from danger. And the times he could not catch me or anyone else, he cursed himself for not being better.

For me, falling did not mean much. It was either a thrill when I would freefall from the sky, to feel the wind rushing through my hair, or it was either a sign of danger. But to him, falling meant everything. Falling was what he shared with his parents, what robbed him of them, what he wanted to keep me away from.

When he confided in me, it all made sense. And on that day, I made it my mission to catch him when he fell. To show him that he is not alone anymore.

Now that we are performing on the trapeze together, I could not feel more honored that he shared this experience with me, his deepest memory. I see that, whenever he falls, he simply sports a gentle smile and lets himself go, his past melancholy expression gone. He knows that I will be there to catch him. And that maybe, just maybe, he has another family to love and be loved from.

Such is our bond of trust in one another. For we are a family act. And we will always catch and help each other when we fall.


	2. Day 2: Cosplay

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 2: Cosplay**

Starfire was ecstatic. This was an occasion she had been waiting for over a year, ever since Robin took her on a date at the local cinema, where they watched Captain America:Civil War. She was enthralled by the movie's story and the world it took place in and especially the characters. The more movies featuring Marvel's heroes she watched with her boyfriend, snuggled up against him and holding his hand, the more curious she grew. She started learning more and more about the comicbooks where the heroes of these movies originated from and the massive fanbases based around them. And the conventions that were held in celebration of those heroes.

Naturally, Starfire was not one to skip any sort of festivity, so she pleaded with Robin to join her. And not only did he agree, he decided to invite the rest of the team. It was one of the few times he was spontaneous when it came to social activities and she did not mind at all. Cyborg and Beast Boy were excited, and while Raven was less so, she was convinced by the combined might of BB and Star's puppy dog pouts.

And now there she was, brushing her hair in front of a mirror, adjusting her armor and winged helmet and putting her great big red cape on. All that was left was the prop hammer…

Which was currently being chewed on by Silkie, painted yellow with a small flower on his head, meant to make him look like a wiggler from Mario Bros.

Starfire couldn't help but giggle. "Silkie! I know you wish to become worthy of Mjolnir, but that is not the right way to do it!"

She pulled the hammer out of his mouth (to Silkie's dismay) and washed off his drool before letting it hand from her belt.

She turned to Silkie and petted him gently. "I shall not be gone for long, my little bumgorf!" Silkie in turn responded with a happy gurgle and rested on her bed. And with that, Star was off.

The rest of the Titans were waiting in the Ops room. Raven was dressed in a long read coat and a black bodysuit, with a red dress and black boots to complete her look as Scarlet Witch. She was reading a book alongside Beast Boy, who was dressed in a red jacket, a light blue shirt and black trousers, a satchel on his shoulder. Despite his green complexity, he looked good as Star-Lord. As for Cyborg, he was watching TV, a metal mask on his face and the blue parts of his body were painted a dark grey, with a machine gun and a rocket launcher on each of his soldiers. His War Machine costume was quite convincing.

And Robin? Robin was in the kitchen, listening to music on the boom box, dressed in a black military suit with his left arm painted a metallic silver color, meant to resemble the Winter Soldier. And naturally, he was the first to sense Star's presence, as he turned to see her, a happy and impressed expression on his face.

"Well, who's here! You look great, Star!"

The rest of the Titans turned to see her, and at that time, she could not resist getting into the part of Thor.

"GREETINGS TO ALL OF YOU, MY EARTH FRIENDS! I am Thor, Heir to the throne of Asgard, The God of Thunder, and above all else, I am an Avenger!"

Beast Boy bounced in excitement. "You look so awesome, Star!" Cyborg turned to Robin. "Well, what do you know? I guess she would be into Thor's grandiose speeches."

Robin looked impossibly smug. "I TOLD you guys she'd make a great Thor!"

If Cyborg's eyes were visible beneath the steel mask, they'd be rolling. "Yeah, yeah, I know you did. Guess it's a boyfriend's intuition, huh?"

Robin smile did not fade. "You could say that."

Raven interrupted the discussion. "Look, can we go now? Otherwise we'll be late."

"Right! Come on, Rae! Me and you are gonna blow everyone away with how HOT we are!" Beast Boy wrapped one arm around Raven and put on _Come and Get Your Love_ on the walkman he had, inviting her to march in a dancing manner. Raven couldn't help but giggle at how sweet and upbeat he was, and so she joined him on the way to the T-Car. Cyborg followed not far behind, gesturing to Robin and Starfire to come along.

Robin found himself holding Starfire close, admiring her gorgeous eyes, the way her mane of hair blended in with the cape, how the costume put emphasis on her strong arms which he started to caress. "You look like a Goddess, Kory." Starfire chuckled at his enthusiasm. She always loved how Robin appreciated all of her physique, from her voluptuous curves, to her well-built, powerful muscles, to the point where she found him sleeping on her body just as much as she found herself sleeping on his chest. And Robin looked positively handsome to her. He let his hair grow a bit and let it loose against his face, giving him an aura of mystery despite the lack of a mask, the strands of hair making his baby blue eyes pop. And the military suit hugged his body in such a way that it made his lean body look buffer, much to her pleasure. "And you look like a dreamboat, as you say on Earth, my love."

Before either one of them could think straight, Robin and Star started kissing fiercely, passion overcoming their minds. Robin was almost about to reach for Star's cape to take it off until…

"YO, LOVEBIRDS! Let's get going! You'll have plenty of time for lovin' when we get back!"

Cyborg's yell snapped them out of their heated make-out session. While disappointed, they knew he was right. They looked at each other and smiled, taking each other's hand and heading off to join their friends, singing _"We are going to Comic-Coooooooon!~"_


	3. Day 3: Dancing

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 3: Dancing**

"Robin? Robin, may I come in?"

No response came. Starfire has been knocking on Robin's door for 15 minutes and still no answer. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Starfire punched in the override code for Robin's door and went inside.

Only to find her boyfriend sleeping on his desk, in a white T-Shirt and black boxers, his mask placed on his bed.

Starfire sighed in relief that he was safe. She couldn't really blame him for falling asleep on her. Between the rigorous training regiment, the fight against the H.I.V.E. Five and completing police reports, Robin was exhausted and he looked the part even before he retired to his room after midday.

It had been a _long_ day.

" _Oh, I told him that he should have gotten some rest before filling in his reports, but nooo! He just had to push himself again… why can he not see that this is not healthy?"_ she thought.

She gently nudged him, waking him up from his slumber. She had to admit that he looked funny. Between the messed up hair, the incoherent mumbles and the ink that was stuck on his face from standing too long on the papers, she giggled at his state.

Robin blinked his eyes a bit and rubbed them. "Hmmmmffff… what's up, Kory? What's got you so happy?"

Star gave him a knowing look. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, Robin? If you had you'd notice all the ink on your face."]

Robin blinked. His hand touched his face, rubbing some of the ink off and into his fingers. "Oh, that's just great."

Starfire shook her head. "You work too much, my love. I believe you need a break."

Robin sighed. "Yeah, I suppose so. I'll just wash the ink off my face and call it a day."

As soon as he said that, Starfire's eyes widened and her smile grew. "I believe I have a better alternative, Robin."

He turned to meet her captivating green eyes. "Oh? What did you have in mind, beautiful?"

Her smile turned into a foxy smirk as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "How about you take a shower instead? And let me join you? You deserve it after all your hard work, and I believe we could both use some…" Her lips were inches from his, her voice breathy. "Recreation."

Robin's face was flushed, his eyes closed, waiting for Starfire to kiss him after her ministrations, until she removed herself from him. Quickly, he shook off his hormonal reaction and replied with a smirk of his own "Oh, I'd like that."

They took each other's hands and swiftly made their way towards the shower, giggling like schoolchildren. After making sure the water was at the right temperature, they removed their clothes and turned the shower on.

They began to clean each other slowly, a mix of washing off sweat and massaging each other in sore spots. Robin let his back rest against Star's bare chest as she cleaned his body. It kept surprising him just how tall Starfire was. It's not every day one can let himself rest against the body of a woman that was undoubtedly buffer than he was.

As she washed his hair, Starfire began humming a tune from a song she heard often coming from the shower when Robin was in the shower.

" _Heee-eeey, heee-eeey... what the matter with your heeeaaaad~_

Robin did not even flinch at her humming the song. Instead he joined in the singing.

" _Heeee-eeey, heee-eeey… what the matter with your mind and your sign and a oooohohohhhh~"_

They started bobbing their heads up and down, wide smiles on their faces.

" _Heeey-eeey, heeey-heeey… nothin' the matter with your head, baby find it, come on and find it"_

On a whim, Star picked up a toothbrush and put it against her mouth, using it as a makeshift microphone, while Robin did the same with a bar of soap as they sung to each other.

" _Heeeeey, with it baby cause you're fine and you're mine and you look so divine~"_

And they sung louder, completely overtaken by the flow and rhythm of the song, dancing in the bathtub with a few spins and shakes, Starfire in particular hovering a bit off the ground so she could dance more freely.

" _Come and get your loooooove~"_

As he sang and danced with his beautiful girlfriend inside the shower, he couldn't help but think just how amazing of a person Starfire is. She alone could turn something as ordinary as a shower and turn it into a fun event. She could make the best out of any situation, no matter how mundane it could seem and turn it into something truly special.

He didn't even think about how someone else could come to use the bathroom or if the other Titans would hear them. Right now, all that mattered was Star and their singing and dancing in the shower.

Oh, even long days can have their perks.


	4. Day 4: Tokyo Nights

The night sky above Tokyo was clear, the streets on Shinjuku bustling with life and activity, the colorful lights of the buildings and street lights creating a beautiful canvas of colors clashing against each other. One might be forgiven for thinking that the great battle that took place just the day before never even happened.

But not the Teen Titans who were currently staying at a Shinjuku hotel. And especially not the alien princess of the group, known to the world as Starfire. For it was in that great battle that her greatest wish finally came true.

Finally, _finally,_ her not-so-secret-crush Robin had come to terms with his feelings to the point where he actually took the step to admit them. And with that step taken, they kissed under the rain, not caring about anything else other than each other.

" _It was long past time."_ Starfire thought to herself, as she stared at the city below, her head resting against her open palm, leaning on the balcony of her hotel room. She still could not believe this was reality, even though she wanted this to be a reality for over 4 years.

The mere thought of his lips crashing gently against her own and his look of utter adoration that he gave her made her feel goosebumps . So much so that she inadvertently started to hover above the floor she stood on.

The sight of the city before her and her hovering awoke a desire for her to take a nightly flight. And so she left her balcony and flew right outside the city.

She always relished the joy of flight. And now that the boy she loved returned her feelings, she couldn't contain her happiness. She let out sweet giggles as she twisted, twirled and turned in the air, letting her emotions just for this once take her over completely.

And she would have continued to do so, had she not seen a figure looking at her from the hotel, on a balcony just below hers.

 _Robin._

She could recognize that spiky hair and lovely lopsided smile anywhere. And despite him being dressed in a white T-Shirt and blue shorts, she thought he looked captivating.

She gave him a thousand-watt smile and waved at him, watching him as he waved back. She started to fly towards him and as she drew closer, she could still discern his loving look despite his mask.

Robin's smile grew into a grin. "Hey."

She shook her head at the familiar turn this conversation had started with. "Greetings."

"So… you look happy." He remarked.

Starfire crossed her arms and responded with a cheeky tone. "It is not every day that the love of your life finally admits to the sharing of a romantic attraction to you."

He played along. "Wow, he must be a lucky guy, if not a bit thickheaded, to not jump at the chance of getting close to a treasure like you." 

"That he is." She admitted.

They both shared a laugh at their façade of ignorance, until Robin offered his hand.

"Please, take me with you up above. I want to talk to you."

She obliged him, taking his hand with her left hand and wrapping her right around his waist. At no time, they were high up in the sky, the lights of Shinjuku becoming but tiny dots, like the stars in the sky.

"I… am sorry for taking so long, Star…" he admits bashfully.

Her gaze is comforting, complimenting her slightly teasing tone. "Well, better late than never, as you say."

"That's not an excuse. Look Star, I… what I said about being only heroes… I was lying, both to you and to myself." His eyes look down at the ground in shame.

Starfire tilted her head a bit, puzzled. "What do you mean by that, Boyfriend Robin?"

He smiled brightly at that -Boyfriend Robin. He could never get enough of that. "When I said that, I… I was afraid. Afraid of letting someone so deeply into my hear, because that meant I might put them into danger because of my mistakes. You see… something happened a long time ago, that made me think allowing yourself to love someone in any way was just asking to be heartbroken. I lost people… people I cared about, people I could have saved. And so I drove them away, thinking they were better off without me."

She held him tighter. "But you realized that you were wrong. That the only way to keep the ones you love from being hurt is not by driving them away, but by staying closer to them."

"You know me so well." He placed his palm on her cheek. "And so I made a decision. No more hiding. No more running. I love you, Starfire. And I wish to be with you, to hold you close and not let you go again. Will you please give… us a chance?"

Tears of joy were forming at the corners of her eyes. "Nothing would make me happier, my Robin."

He brought her face close to his, until their lips met, pouring all their emotions into this one kiss.

Their first kiss was in the heat of the moment, after the rush of victory and the realization of their feelings for one another. This second kiss was after a moment of clarity and introspection, of complete and full acceptance of one another.

And so they kissed high above the night sky of Tokyo, grateful that they could finally hold on close to each other, and not let go.


	5. Day 5: Genderbent

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 3: Dancing**

Robin put her hand through her long dark hair in frustration. The pressure of work clearly taking its toll on her mood. Between recovering from an injury caused by Cinderblock, , patrolling the city for 8 hours straight and finishing reports on top of that, it had been a draining day for her.

She didn't even get to play some Marvel VS Capcom 3 with her friends Cyborg and Beast Gal, just what the heck?

"Oh, that is _it!_ " she exclaimed in pure annoyance, leaving the damnable papers for later. "I need to vent. Hmm… maybe I should do a few acrobatics in the training room. That'll clear my head."

Feeling cheerful already, Robin let her room and headed towards the training room.

She did not expect to have company there. Much less HIM.

Starfire.

He was lifting weights. Massive weights the size of trucks. And he did so effortlessly.

Robin was instantly captivated by his training regimen. Or, more accurately, the way his form moved.

This alien boy, who came from the planet Tamaran, rocked her world with his larger-than-life personality. He was instantly approachable and openly friendly, giving her group many bone crushing hugs. Not that Robin minded… the way his chiseled chest felt against her costume and the way he wrapped his long, strong arms wrapped her body in a near-protective way… it was enough to make her go tomato red from embarrassment.

And he was quite the looker too. He seemed to combine the looks of a pretty boy and a rigged man, with the physical build of the latter, and the characteristics of the former, what with his lean jaw and the slicked back short hair. His costume leaves little to the imagination, basically amounting to a pair of purple shorts and a sleeveless shirt-like armor piece.

If he had seen her mope around in her room, he would have hugged her gently and tried to get her to come out of her room to lighten up, possibly by pouting cutely.

When he was done using the weights, he reached for a bottle of water, only to meet Robin's gaze, much to her dismay.

Her eyes would have betrayed a look of hurried panic, if not for her mask. _"Oh, no! I've been staring at him for God knows how long and now he knows! What am I gonna do? I gotta say something, ANYTHING!"_

"H-Hi!" her voice came out much meeker than she would have liked. _"Oh, real poet, I am! 'Hi!' GOD, what was I thinking?"_

He smiled warmly, brushing a strand of his crimson hair from his face. "Greetings, Friend Robin! What brings you here?"

" _Stay cool, stay cool"_ "Ah, I was just going to work on my acrobatics! But you seem to be using the room now, so I'll just…"

He spread out one of his arms to stop her. "Oh, it is no trouble at all! I just finished my workout! You can proceed with the acrobatics!"

She let out a nervous giggle. "OK, then!"

And so Robin started setting up the poles, bars and rigs for the acrobatics regimen. She was about to start when she noticed him looking at her. As soon as she met his gaze, he started taking an interest in his shoes.

"Do… you want to watch?" She asked reassuringly.

She started twiddling his fingers. It was so surreal and yet so adorable, to see this hunk of a man be so shy. "If it is not too much trouble. Your movements are so… beautiful to watch."

This coming from someone who could fly, who was also her crush, made her brighten up considerably. "It's no trouble at all! Now watch as you witness a true acrobat in action!"

He started clapping in excitement and in an effort to encourage Robin.

As she began her workout, she couldn't help but laugh at the insanity of it all. This proud warrior prince, who could lift tanks with his bare hands, could also be this sweet boy who is always so polite and merry. It made her wonder just how much more depth there was to this boy.

After she finished with her signature quadruple flip, she heard furious applause from her captive audience. It would seem that she impressed him. Which made her blush harder.

He pulled her in for a hug. "That was spectacular! How did you learn to move so gracefully?"

Through strained breath, she answered him. "Study and practice, years of it. I had very good teachers."

"I wish to learn some of these maneuvers too! Will you please teach me?" He begged with his signature pout.

She just chuckled softly. "No need for pouting. I'll teach you."

He flew up and pumped his fist upwards. "Glorious!"

Giggling at his excitement, she thought of something unorthodox. _"Should I? Or should I not? Nah, it'd be ridiculous, it'd be insane, it'd be…"  
_ "Would you like talk this over at lunch?" Her hands immediately covered her mouth, her loom of disbelief hidden behind her mask, which she was grateful for.

"Sure, that sounds nice! Maybe we could have the rest of our friends to join us?"

Robin shuffled the tip of her shoe against the floor. "Erm… I meant… out of the tower."

Starfire quirked an eyebrow at this. Robin didn't usually act like this.

"Y'know… at the pizzeria… just you and me…" Her voice was barely a whisper. _"BITCH, WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY THAT!? Now you'll drive him away and he'll-"_

"Robin…" His gaze was so full of kindness and understanding. It appeared that he understood how difficult it was for a remote person like Robin to say that. And he was ecstatic that she took that plunge. "Is this the asking me out on a date?"

Robin's heartbeat rate could rival that of a jackhammer's at this point. "Erm… yes?"

Starfire beamed, his face brightening up to the point where one could mistake him for the sun.

"I would love to go out on the date with you." He admitted.

"Wait, really? YAY!-I mean, yeah, yeah, that's cool…"

He said nothing. He just offered his hand. And Robin took it without hesitation. They left the training room in a hurry, anxious to prepare for their date.


	6. Day 6: Passionate

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 6: Passionate**

There were so many qualities that Robin loved about Starfire.

He could go on and on about her incredible strength and power, her divine beauty, her unending compassion and understanding. It would be child's play for him to go one and on about her outstanding qualities as a person.

But if there was one thing he loved the most about her, the thing that was the driving force behind all her amazing qualities, it would be her passion

Starfire followed her emotions and embraced them. And as such, she was a sight to behold.

Her eagerness to help others was outstanding. She was not content with just saving people from peril, but she offered comfort to those who needed it, she was open and earnest to the people around her, playing around with children and talking to civilians in the friendliest way possible.

Her protective nature when it came to those she loved was fierce. She valued her friends more than her own life, and woe betide anyone who dared to lay a finger on them.

Her temper was extraordinarily fierce. Although it took a lot to actually make her mad, when she does get angry, the results are often not pretty. Be it either genuine outrage at villains, disappointment in her leader, friend and soulmate Robin or the unending hatred she had for the Citadel, the Gordanians and the Psions, her rage is often made known in no uncertain terms.

Her desire for knowledge and new discoveries was near bottomless. Always curious to learn about new cultures, meet new people, gain new experiences and see new places. She was an explorer at heart, hungry for new adventures.

But most of all, the way she expressed love for her family in its purest form. She constantly offered company to her friends and held them in special esteem. She always respected Cyborg and comforted him in his times of insecurity whenever he was growing too self-conscious about his condition. She admired Beast Boy's optimism and tenacity as a person. She respected Raven's wisdom and calmness and treats her like the sister she wished she had.

And Robin… her brave, fearless leader… she loved him with all that she was. The kind of love that is eternal and unbreakable. She loved his countless qualities as a person, flaws and all. For even the flaws were side-effects of his qualities. She loved his selflessness, his bravery, his intelligence and even his REALLY good looks, the chiseled lean body, his beautiful dark hair and his gorgeous blue eyes.

And as she lay on her bed with him, sharing tight hugs, loving stares, amorous touches and scorching kisses, she realized that the trait she loved most about him was also one she shared with him to an equal degree.

He was just as passionate as he was.

But unlike her, he suppressed and concealed his passions from a strong sense of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of danger, fear of loss fear of rejection. And so he hid his passions away for what he thought was his own safety and the safety of those around him. However, deep inside, he loved those around him just as intensely and passionately as Starfire did and desperately wanted to show it.

Now that they are finally together, after she finally broke all his inner walls, he could show her just how much love he could give.

And Starfire couldn't thank him enough for that.


	7. Day 7: Heartbeat

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. All of the depicted characters are property of Warner Brothers, DC and DC Entertainment._

 **RobStar Week Day 7: Heartbeat**

Starfire had lots of quirks as a person that made her stand out from the rest of the Teen Titans. From her often quoting poetry, to her love of mustard and her sleeping on the opposite sides of her bed, she was… peculiar, to say the least. And Robin did not mind these quirks at all. In fact, he appreciated them even more. They emphasized Starfire's winning personality that he fell in love with. They showcased her fun-loving attitude and let people know that she was proud and unashamed of who she was.

One particular quirk of hers that he liked was how she always seemed to place her hand on his chest, right on his heart. He figured that she did it to feel his heartbeat, to know that he's safe. It was a sweet gesture, though he never thought too much of it.

But this mindset changed dramatically one fateful day.

The criminal activity alarm had gone off, alerting the Titans to a bank robbery. They didn't get to see much, just a glimpse of a group of heavily armed men warning the personnel to put their hands up before all the cameras went out.

Robin warned the team before heading out. "We are going in blind and they got hostages. We'll have to be very careful, team. There's no telling what's in store for us. Alright now, let's go!"

They arrived at the bank to meet a team with all sorts of weaponry, from machine guns, to pistols, to even a rocket launcher. Charging in would endanger the hostages. Luckily, the Titans faced much tougher conundrums than this.

Robin already had a plan. "Alright, our first order of business is saving the hostages. I'll infiltrate the bank and find exactly where they are. As soon as I find them, I'll contact Raven to see through my eyes with telepathy so she can memorize their locations and get them to safety through carefully placed portals. Once they're out of harm's way, we'll subdue the robbers."

All of the Titans nodded. "We'll save you some time by distracting them. Green bean here is a master at that." Cyborg eyed Beast Boy.

Beast Boy puffed his chest and spoke in a cocky attitude. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm a master at getting people's attention!"

"You're green, how can you _not_ get people's attention?" Raven deadpanned.

Her snark did not affect him in the slightest. "I'm not just green, I'm a green, mean fighting machine!"

Starfire and Robin giggled at how they kept butting heads. They knew they just teased each other out of love.

"Alright, enough goofing around, we got a job to finish." Robin reminded them.

Starfire placed her palm over his heart. "Best of the luck, Robin."

Robin nodded and then used his grappling hook to get above the building. He entered the air vents from there.

With remarkably little noise, he managed to go from vantage point to vantage point, until he located all the hostages. Four behind the counter, seven lying down on the floor in a row. Some of the goons were distracted by Beast Boy making extremely loud noises as a monkey.

Robin telepathically contacted Raven. _"You seeing this, Raven?"_

" _I got it. Ready when you are."_

Robin held his breath for 5 eventful seconds as he pulled a smokebomb from his belt. And then…

"NOW!"

Robin threw the smoke bomb in the middle of the room. With a loud bang, it filled the room with smoke, blinding the robbers, who kept screaming in confusion.

Portals opened on the floor and behind the counter, transporting the hostages to safety. Robin dove in and struck one robber down with his staff, knocking him out cold, before he disarmed another and pinned him with his staff to the wall, as the rest of the gang found themselves under attack by the Titans who burst through the doors.

"Where is your leader?!" he roared.

"What the Hell? YOU are in this city?! I thought this place was supposed to be clear of freaks!" the vermin coughed out.

"You're not from around here, are you?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. "Huh. Sucks to be you. Now where is your boss?"

The thug chuckled. "He's in the safe. And he's gonna make you wish you were never born, you smug little fu-"

Robin immediately knocked him out cold with a swing of his staff. His mouth turned into a very smug smirk. "Language."

With his business done, he found the door to the safe, opened it and entered through it. It was gigantic, looking like it occupied much of the building's floor, with great hallways that spread for almost the entire city block, shelves filled with cash and plaques of gold adorning them.

Robin kept his guard up. There's no telling who this "boss" of theirs could be or what he could do.

He spotted some sacks that were filled up with plaques of gold. He thought nothing of them, believing that the staff could take care of that after he apprehends the boss. Suddenly, the door to the safe closed with a loud sound. He turned his towards the door…

Only to feel a hand clutching his mouth and syringes piercing his neck, pouring some kind of drug into his bloodstream. He was quick to elbow the assailant and turn around to face him.

Robin was mortified to see who he was.

"Well, well, well… Long time no see, Boy Wonder. I never thought you left Gotham for this place. I guess I should have paid more attention to the news that went around in this city before coming here. Oh, well. Not exactly the same as facing off Batman, but I guess your screams of terror will have to do for now."

The grim visage of a hooded man with scythe and a tattered mask in a frightening costume gave him away.

 _ **Scarecrow.**_

"Crane? How are you here?" Robin was trembling, the effects of the toxin quickly taking effect. "Didn't you used to be in Gotham?"

The arch criminal shrugged his shoulders. "I was, but I figured I should try my luck elsewhere." His voice started to become distorted and his eyes started glowing. The Fear Toxin was taking hold of Robin's mind. **"Now drown in your fears!"**

Robin closed his eyes and desperately tried to clear his mind, but it was no use. Voices kept booming in his head, not allowing him a single moment of peace.

" **You'll never be good enough!"**

" **You are weak, useless!"**

" **You betrayed your friends for the sake of a criminal!"**

" **Because of your obsessions, you created Red X, and you still haven't caught him!"**

" **You let the Brotherhood capture all of your friends out of carelessness!"**

" **You'll get your friends killed, like you let your parents die!"**

"SHUT UP! I didn't let them die, I couldn't do anything, I…"

He was back in the circus.

And his parents were falling again.

"NO! No, not again! Never again!" He ran as fast as his legs would allow him, but the faster he ran, the farther they seemed to be out of his reach.

They fell to the ground with a sickening mix of a crunch and a thud.

He screamed in horror, his throat burning. He fell to his knees, crying and sobbing.

"You should have known better, Robin. You know that everything you touch dies."

No, not _him_ … Not now!

 _ **Slade.**_

He was holding his beloved Starfire by the throat, trying to choke her to death. She swung her legs helplessly, her hands clawing against his armored gauntlets, letting out stomach-churning gurgles and weak gasps of air.

"Ro…bin…" she managed to choke out.

"Star, I'm coming, I'm-!" He suddenly found two pairs of arms restraining him before he could move.

It was his parents. They reeked of blood that was adorning their faces, bones jutting out of their heads and limbs. But that was nothing to the horrifyingly unnatural grins on their green faces.

He thrashed l and struggled like mad, trying his damndest to get out of their grip, but it was no use.

" **I told you Robin. I promised you that I would kill your pathetic little friends and I would make you watch."  
**

Starfire's struggles were getting weaker. "Robin… help… me…"

"LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!" For all his efforts, he was completely immobilized. He wouldn't make it in time. "GET OFF OF ME! I HAVE TO SAVE HER! STAR! STAR, PLEASE HOLD ON! Please… please…". He couldn't bear to watch.

Star's breaths were getting softer, her limbs going limp. "I… loved you… why… why did you… let him…?"

Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and her head lolled into the side. Her breathing stopped. She was gone.

Robin's heartwrenching screams echoed throughout the landscape.

He let her down. He failed her.

"Why…? She didn't deserve this! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

 **"Because I made you a promise, Robin. I will never rest. And neither will you."**

He tossed Starfire's lifeless bodyinto a great pit, where the bloody corpses of the other Teen Titans lay.

His "mother" grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look at her. "You let us die, my little robin. Now it's time to return the favor."

With that, his "parents" tossed him into the pit.

He accepted his fate as he fell to his death. The only thing he could do was to be close to Star in his final moments and so, he caught Starfire in midair and put his hand on her heart, as he did the same for her hand on his heart. He closed his eyes and braced for the deadly impact….

But here was a heartbeat.

" _How did she have a heartbeat?!"_

He opened his eyes to see… Starfire's worried face?

"Robin…" Her voice was faint, but growing in volume. "Robin… Robin! Please, fight it! Wake up! You are stronger than this! I know you are!"

Suddenly, the pitch black pit turned into… the infirmary of Titans Tower?

He found himself strapped on a gurney, the concerned faces of his friends surrounding him, Cyborg near his heart monitor, Raven on a chair to his right, sweating from exertion of her healing powers, Beast Boy holding her hand and standing close to her and Starfire to his left, eyeing him with worry.

He couldn't believe it. They were still alive? Is this another hallucination of the Fear Toxin? Or did he die?

He looked at Starfire's scared face, her eyes brimming with tears. Hesitantly, he spread his arm and placed it on her heart.

It was bumping, filled with life. She was here. She was real.

"Star... you're alive…" His lip quivered.

Her tears flowed free. "Yes, I am." She squeezed his hand, feeling his stabilized heartbeat. "And I am here for you."

He sighed in relief, his whole body trembling. He couldn't take it anymore. The sight of his beautiful girlfriend, alive and well, surrounded by his family…

His tears flowed through his mask.

In a swift move, Starfire embraced him and let him bury his face in her shoulder. He started sobbing violently, his whimpers echoing through the room.

The rest of the Titans were quick to hug him as well. In that moment, he felt truly blessed to have such great people around him. And it made him cry even more.

He lifted his head carefully. "What about Scarecrow? Where is he?"

Cyborg eyed Starfire with a small smile. "We heard your screaming from the safe. As soon she heard you, the little lady here tore open the safe door and took off like a rocket to come get to you. As soon as she found Scarecrow, she broke his arms like toothpicks and blasted him into unconsciousness." Starfire blushed as Robin looked at her with admiration." Luckily, we searched through your records of past villain encounters and found the ingredients for the antidote. She kept you company the whole time, while Raven tried to heal you."

"Dude, this was so scary. Never seen you his afraid since the time Slade's mask drugged you." Beast Boy admitted. "You OK?"

Robin looked Starfire in the eyes and let out a relieved smile. "I am now."

Starfire laughed in relief, recognizing just what that meant.

Beast Boy snorted. "Dude, you guys are shameless."

Raven let out a small smile of her own. "We'll give you some time alone now. Come on, Gar."

She took his hand and led him out the room, Cyborg following suit.

Starfire crawled next to him in bed, after letting the straps loose.

"Do NOT do anything like this ever again, Robin! I was so worried…"

"It's alright now, Star…"

"No, it is NOT!" she blurted out, her outburst catching him off guard. "I never saw you this close to death! Your heart stopped beating, Robin! And I could do nothing!"

He stared at her. "Star… you saved my life. I wouldn't call that nothing."

"Robin…" she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, what would I do without you…" he remarked. He put his ear on her chest, letting the sound of her heartbeat sooth his mind.

"Please, hold me close…" he begged the memory of his fears gnawing at his mind.

"I will. And I will never let you go." She promised. She kept one of her hands on his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heart. And he couldn't feel more grateful for getting to experience that again.

He fell asleep into her arms, finally feeling safe.

From that day onward, they always made sure to feel each other's heartbeat. Not just to make sure they were still safe and well. But to let each other know, that they will always be in each other's hearts.


End file.
